Railroad-switch stand and lock



B. B. .De VOUT. Railroad-Switch Stand and Look.v

No. 225,747. Patented Mar. 23, 1880.

ai 9M WZ/w4 @MMAWW N.FETER. PHDTO-LITNOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED, S'TAil-zsy PATENT OFFICE.

`BARTHOLOMEW B. DE VOU'I, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-SWITCH SHTAND AND LOCK.

S1?IEICIFICALION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,747, dated March 23, 1880.

Application Vled February 10, 1880. l

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BARTHOLOMEW B. DE

, VOUT, of Harrisburg, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, haveinvented an Improved Railroad- Switch Stand and Lock, of which the following is the specication.

My invention is an improvement in stands and locks for self-adjusting switches, whereby the efficiency of the switch is maintained and the operation of the switch-lever prevented unless all the rails are in proper position.

The invention further consists' in certain details of construction.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional plan view of the switch-rails and adjacent rails and adjusting devices; Fig. 2, a sectional elevation on the line l 2, Fig. l; Fig. 3, a side elevation ofthe stand and attachments.

A B are the permanent rails, and C G' the movable rails of the siding, the latter being connected to the bar c; but the rails may be arranged in any suitable manner, my invention relating specially to the operating mechanism applicable whenever self-adjusting rails are used. j

As is well known, self-adjusting switches provided with movable rails that spring to one side to permit the proper movement of trains are open to the objection that the switchman may adjust the switch-lever without moving the rails fully to position, the spring-connection permitting the lever to move after the rail has struck an obstruction that prevents it from y, taking its proper position.

To avoid these difficulties I extend the rod S, connected to the movable rails by the bar c, lthrough guide-ears b b of the stand U2, and through the ends of a box, K, closed at the top, open, if desired, at the bottom, and sliding between guides or standards N. Two springs, O O', wound around the rod S, intervene between washers on the latter and the ends of a box, and a wedge, W, extending transversely through a slot in the rod, bears upon the washers, and may be adjusted so as to compress the springs more or less, as desired. Nuts, set-screws, or other devices may be substituted for the wedge with like effect.

A shaft, e, turning on the standards N N, carries a crank or eccentric, i, which bears on the sides of an upright groove or yoke of the box,

which constitutes bearings d d', a longitudinal movement being imparted by turning the shaft e by means of the switch -lever H. The turning of the switch-lever carrying the box moves the rod S, and thus adjusts therails C C', which, however, may yield to permit the passage ot trains, as usual. The box K carries and confines and protects the springs.

To the bar a, or other part moving with the rails, is connected a rod, M, terminating in an enlargement having a 1 -shaped slot, p, into which enters the wrist h of a crank or an eccentric at the end of the shaft c. The vertical branch of the slot p is so arranged that when the rails are adjusted to their proper position the crank can pass to the horizontal part of the slot.

Should anything obstruct the rails, preventing them from moving to their fullextent, the movement of the box can continue; but as the movement of the bar M is arrested with that of the rails the wrist h cannot pass to the horizontal part of the slot, the further movement of the lever H is prevented, and the attention of the switchman thereby called to the fact that the rails are obstructed. When, however, the switch-rails are in their proper position, the horizontal portion ofthe slot permits the rails and the rod M to move freely backl and forth.

It will be apparent that a hand-wheel and shaft or other device may be substituted for the operating-lever and its cam, and that the rod M and its operating-crank may be used with switch-operating devices of different constructions.

I claims l. The combination of the stand C2, its ears b b', and standards NN, switch-rod S, connected to the switch-rails, a box, K, sliding between the standards, spring or springs interposed between the ends of the box and a bearing on the rod, and appliances for moving the box, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the rod S, its springs, sliding box K, shaft c, and cam or crank t', having its bearings on shoulders d d of the box, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the springs O O', rod S, and the adjusting device W, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the rod S, its

IOO

7. The stand G2, provided With ears b b', and the standards N N,in combination With the rod S, its springs, the box K, shaft e, and ozun z', substantially as set forth.

` In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subseribing,` witnesses.

BARTHOLOMEW B. DE VOUT.

Witnesses:

WM. A. MELLEN, A.. RE'PTALIATA. 

